Easy opening container



,July14', 1942; w. F. FUN-TE 2,289,4

EASY OPENING CONTAINER Filed Oct. 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Adam July 14, 1942.

w. F. PUNTE EASY OPENING CONTAINER Filed 001;. 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 t atented July 14, 1942 William F. Punte, Syracuse, N. 1., amino! to Continental Can Company. Inc New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application ottom- 21, 1940, Serial No. scam 1 Claim. (c1. 220-21) The invention relates to new and usefuihm provements in easy opening sheet metal, containers, and more particularly to a container wherein the metal is ruptured in order to give access to the contents of the container.

An object of theinvention is to provide a sheet metal container having one end thereoi thinned along apredetermined line to facilitate the rupturing oi the same, which container end has a substantially vertically extending wall surrounding the thinned portion of the metal and terminating at its upper end in a fulcrum support for a rupturing and pryout tool whereby the thinned portion may be ruptured and the torn-out portion lifted and removed from the container.

A further object of'the invention is to provide a sheet metal container of the above type wherein a portion of the container end spaced inwardly mm the double seam is raised and the raised portion formed .with a depression providing a substantially vertical wall terminating at itsupper end in a fulcrum support for a pryout tool, and wherein the metal at the lower end of .7

the wall isthinned to facilitate rupturing, said raised portion providing a friction wall adapted to receives closure cap for protecting the thinned portion or the {metal during the handling and shipping of thecontaine In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention- Figure l is a plan view of a container embodying the improvements, with a portion of the clo-v sure cap broken away to show the structure therebeneath;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the container embodying the improvements, with the closure cap in place; I

Fig. 3 is an enlargedvertical sectional view through a portion of the container;

Fig. 4 is a view similar'to Fig. 2, showing in full lines the closure cap removed and the puncturing and pryout tool inserted for the-initial rupturing oi the container end at the thinned portion, and showing in dotted lines the pryout tool used as a lever for raising the torn-out portion as the rupturing continues, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the torn-out portion raised and the'ruptming of the metal nearly completed by the pryout tool.

The invention is embodied ina sheet metal container which is preferably cylindrical in shape.

the body portion. This is the usual form of structure employed in the forming of hermetically closed sheet metal containers. The invention has particularly to do with the construction of the container top whereby the container may be easily opened and access had to the contents thereof. The container top has the usual depression for the chuck of the doubleseaming mechanism, and therefore, the closure portion oi the end is-depressed to the depth of the double seam. This depressed portion is provided with a raised section, which raised section is spaced from the double seam. There is a depression in the end extending about the raised portionso as to providea vertical friction wall to which a closure cap may be secured. Centrally of this raised portion is a depression providing a substantiallyvertical wall terminating at its upper end in a bead serving as a fulcrum forthe pryout tool; The metal is thinned at the portion thereof where the vertical wall joins the bottom of the depression.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the invention as illustrated includes a container body I to which a top end 2 is secured by a double seam I of the usual construction. The top end is provided with a depression inv the region or the double seam, thus forming avertical wall 4 which contacts with the body wall. This depression isfor the purpose or enabling the chuck of a double-seaming mechanism to be so placed I seam.

as to aid in the forming of a very tight double The top end 2 is provided with an annular depression I. This annular depression I as shown,

is located eccentrically of the container body and is spaced away from the'double seam 3. The end 2 within the limits of the depressed portion I is provided with a raised'portion i. This raised portion Q is formed centrally thereof with a depression, thus providing a substantially vertical The container includes a body portion having a f bottom end (not shown) double-seamed there- I to. The top end is likewise double-seamed 'to wall I which terminates at its upper end in an upstanding bead I. The bottom wall I of the depression in the raised portion is beaded upwardly at III to strengthen the same.

The metal between the substantially vertical will and the bottomlis thinned at II. This thinning of the metal is preferably accomplished bythe method described in detail in my 'pr'ior Patent No. 2,187,433, granted January 16,

The annular depression I in the container end,

. together .with the raised portion 6 provides a vertical friction wall It. A closure cap I! having thinned portion l I.

a depending skirt I4 is adapted to engage this frictional wall. When the cap is placed on the container it will rest on the fulcrum bead I and be supported so that the pressure incident to the sealing of the container is taken by the raised portion of the end and does not strain the It will be noted that this raised portion of the container end which is covered by the closure cap II, together with the cap, is located below the plane of the upper edge of the double seam. This enables containers to be placed one on another, and it also further protects the thinned portion of the metal from rupturing strains.

The closure cap I! is applied to the container end and serves as a protection for the thinned portion of the metal in the end. This closure cap may be easily removed by the pryout tool placed beneath the lower beaded edge of the skirt ll. The depression 5 gives ample room for the placement of the pryout tool beneath this beaded edge. This closure cap is also used as a reclosure means after the container has been opened by the rupturing of the metal along the part to be raised and the rupturing to move from the point of penetration along the thinned portion which completely encircles the bottom 9 of the depression. The raised bead 8 serves as a fulcrum support for the puncturing tool so that it becomes a prying lever for lifting the end and continuing the rupturing thereof. Figure 5 shows the portion it which is being tomout as almost completely ruptured and the tool placed over a double seam for forcing it to complete raised position whereby it may be easily detached by the fingers.

As shown in Figure l of the drawings, this portion of the container which is raised and thinned to facilitate rupturing, is shown as disposed off-center within thetop end 2. Upwardly projecting radial ribs l1, I! are provided for a compression force within this thinned portion .101

I depression in the raised portion is substantially vertical and the thinned portion I I is so disposed relative to said vertical wall that the forces exerted on the end by internal pressure will create which is restrained-by the vertical wall, while external pressure against the container top adjacent the vertical wall will create a tension force at the thinned portion. For this reason the metal may be' thinned to a point that it may be easily ruptured by the rupturing tool, while it will withstand a considerably greater internal pressure without rupturing.

It is, obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention 'as' set forth in the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

An easy opening container comprising a body, metal top-and bottom ends hermetically joined thereto by double seaming, said top end having a depression in the region of the double seam and a second annular depression spaced inwardly from the double seam and having at least one portion-thereof disposed adjacent the double seam, said annular depression having the inner wall thereof substantially vertical at its upper end and forming a friction wall adapted to receive a closure cap, the container end within said 

